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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. file — a document
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — the time now
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — there
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — the animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com